The Data Behind ‘The Big Bang Theory’: What Keeps Viewers Tuning In

Thursday night is the season finale of the CBS juggernaut The Big Bang Theory, one of the most popular shows on TV (the network itself refers to it as broadcast television’s No. 1 scripted series in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54). To celebrate 10 wildly successful seasons — and the recent renewal for two more — we decided to take a look at how fans have reacted to the show over the last few seasons using insights from Canvs, the language analytics company that measures emotions around content.

Season 8: Everybody loves Sheldon

The eighth season of The Big Bang Theory (BBT) aired Sept. 22, 2014 – May 7, 2015 and the most commonly expressed emotion was love, as you’d expect, followed by viewers expressing excitement and enjoyment — and laughing at the comedy.

Sheldon (portrayed by Jim Parsons) was the most-mentioned character, appearing in 14% of ERs, with Amy (Mayim Bialik) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) in second and third with 4.2% and 4% of ERs, respectively.

In season 9 (Sept. 21, 2015 – May 12, 2016) love was once again the most frequently expressed emotion (shocker!), appearing in nearly one third of responses. But this season viewers talked about things on the show being crazy more often than during the previous season. That feeling was mentioned in 8.4% of ERs.

Sheldon continued to be the most-mentioned character. Fans of the show are seriously amused by his antics. Amy jumped up a tick in responses compared to season 8: she was talked about in 6% of ERs.

A big response driver during the season: Sheldon and Amy kissing — and a bit more than kissing (gasp!). The nickname/hashtag #ShAmy took off. It was the third most frequently used hashtag this season, appearing in 5% of ERs.

As the 10th season draws to a close, it’s clear that The Big Bang Theory is a fan favorite thanks to its nerdy-but-relatable characters and quick wit that gets people laughing week after week. The summer hiatus is sure to leave a hole in fans’ hearts, but many take solace in the fact that it’ll be back for two more seasons.

One of the funniest comedies ever made period.so happy they renewed it for two more seasons. — watching The Big Bang Theory